A Deep Dive into Roulette: Rules and Strategies

Roulette is an iconic casino game, instantly recognizable by its spinning wheel and the small white ball that determines players’ fortunes. The game’s French name translates to “little wheel,” and its reliance on pure luck makes it thrilling for all types of players.

The Basics: Wheel Layout and Objective

At its heart is a large wheel sectioned into pockets, each with a unique number. The two primary versions of roulette are:

• Single-Zero Roulette: It features numbers 1 through 36 plus a single green zero, for a total of 37 slots. Due to the single zero, the house advantage is a favorable 2.7%.
• American Roulette: This wheel has 38 pockets, including the numbers 1-36, a single “0”, casino and an additional “00” pocket, also green. The extra pocket significantly increases the house edge to 5.26%, making it less favorable for players.

The aim of the game is simply to bet on the winning number.

Types of Bets in Roulette

Roulette offers a wide variety of betting options, which can be divided into two main categories: Inside Bets and Outside Bets.

Inside Bets

These bets are on the numbers themselves and feature long odds with high rewards.

• Straight Up: Betting on one specific number. The highest payout in the game.
• Split: Betting on the line between two numbers.
• Street: A three-number bet that pays 11:1.
• Corner: A bet on a group of four numbers. Payout is 8 to 1.

Outside Bets

These are bets placed on broader categories of results on the outside of the layout. They have lower payouts but a much higher chance of winning.

• Red/Black: A bet on whether the winning number will be red or black. Payout is 1 to 1.
• Odd/Even: An even-money bet on the number’s property.
• High/Low: A bet on whether the number will be in the low range (1-18) or the high range (19-36). Payout is 1 to 1.
• Dozens/Columns: A bet on one of three dozens (1-12, 13-24, casino 25-36) or casino one of three columns. Payout is 2 to 1.

Can You Beat the Wheel?

It is impossible to beat roulette consistently because every spin is random and the house edge is fixed. Systems like the Martingale (doubling your bet after a loss) are extremely risky and can lead to catastrophic losses very quickly. The smartest approach is to play responsibly, set a budget, and stick to the European version of the game.